By Levi Donohoe for CoinWeek …..
For the reason that reintroduction of the British gold sovereign in 1817, each king or queen in energy has seen their effigy displayed on the gold sovereign coin struck by The Royal Mint. The cash functioned as foreign money on the time and to this present day nonetheless maintain authorized tender standing in Nice Britain.
Some gold sovereign designs maintain a big premium in right this moment’s market, making them value multiples of their weight in gold. Such an instance is the sovereign struck between 1831 and 1837 that includes King William IV.
The William IV sovereign has an attention-grabbing historical past. This King endured a comparatively quick reign of simply seven years from 1830 till he died in 1837. This reduces the quantity of sovereigns obtainable that includes William and naturally, this will increase their worth as collectors search difficult varieties so as to add to their assortment.
To place this quick mintage interval into context, the sovereign manufacturing years of monarchs on the time are as follows:
- George III: 1817 – 1820 (three years)
- George IV: 1821 – 1830 (9 years)
- William IV: 1831 – 1837 (six years)
- Victoria: 1838 – 1901 (63 years)
The story surrounding William IV’s reign is intriguing as a result of he was by no means anticipated to inherit the throne from his father George III as William IV was George III’s third son. His older brothers, George IV and Frederick, had been forward of him within the line of succession.
Circumstances favored William IV’s rise to energy as his eldest brother George IV didn’t depart any official heirs and Frederick died childless. Had both of his older brothers left an inheritor, William IV would by no means have turn into King.
The One-Yr Kind Half Sovereign
The half sovereign throughout William IV’s interval was struck in 1835 via to 1837, however a little-known particular 1834 half sovereign was struck by The Royal Mint, which modified the specs of the coin. While the 1834 half sovereign accommodates the identical quantity of gold as some other 12 months, the 1834 half sovereign noticed its diameter diminished from the usual 19.3 mm to 17.9 mm. The aim of this variation was to assist distinguish it from the sixpence, which was an identical dimension. The half sovereign was inconveniently small and so the usual specs had been restored the next 12 months. This makes the 1834 a particular and vital numismatic piece that’s not universally identified by collectors.
Right now’s Marketplace for the William IV Sovereign
As Nice Britain was underneath a gold normal in the course of the interval, many surviving William IV sovereigns are in circulated situation, with the element on the King’s hair and ear usually partially eroded. Many uncooked cash are seen with issues resembling rim repairs the place they had been beforehand mounted. It’s common to see uncooked sovereigns with proof of cleansing that, whereas it could have embellished their look in jewellery store home windows on the time, has considerably diminished their premium within the fashionable market.
Mint State examples commerce at vital premiums with an MS65 promoting for just over $40,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2021, displaying how extremely contested this kind is in an uncirculated state. Nearly uncirculated grades commerce at a number of multiples of the coin’s intrinsic worth and are very talked-about as an reasonably priced possibility within the British marketplace for buyers who don’t wish to pay the excessive premiums for mint state examples however nonetheless wish to take pleasure in a coin with most of its unique element intact.
The William IV sovereign is the final of the high-premium numismatic rarities issued earlier than the reign of Queen Victoria, which noticed excessive mintages over a protracted interval. Victoria was William IV’s niece who inherited the throne as William’s direct official heirs along with his spouse Queen Adelaide didn’t stay into maturity.
Proof Sovereigns
For the elite British gold coin collector, The Royal Mint issued Proof variations of the sovereign in the course of the first 12 months of manufacturing. Official mintage figures are misplaced to historical past, however solely 77 have been reported by NGC and PCGS, displaying how uncommon these cash are.
A Proof double sovereign was struck in 1831, of which 69 have been reported by NGC and PCGS. Intriguingly, no bullion editions of the double sovereign are identified. No official clarification as to why the Proof variations had been made, however it was customary for low-mintage Proof finishes to be struck as diplomatic items. Others had been reserved for nationwide establishments resembling museums.
The William IV gold sovereign stays a extremely sought-after kind within the British coin market and has seen its premium develop over current years. Pre-Victorian sovereigns stay probably the most desired British gold cash, with William IV sovereigns being as engaging as some other from this era.
* * *